Free Bead Crochet Tutorials

[AmySolovay]

Want to learn how to do wire crochet with beads? I've posted a free tutorial for how to do this. The tutorial will teach you how to make beaded napkin rings, so you can make something useful while you are learning the technique. Here's a link to the tutorial:

How to Wire Crochet With Beads: Free Tutorial + Beaded Napkin Ring Pattern

If you'd rather try a bead crochet jewelry project, I have a free tutorial for that too. You can make a beaded crochet necklace with a pendant using this pattern / tutorial. In my project sample, I've used a shimmery metallic embroidery floss that sort of mimics the look of metal. Most of you probably don't have that stashed, so please don't feel like you have to buy it just to make this project. I'm thinking this embroidery floss is probably about roughly comparable to size 3 crochet thread, or you could substitute a regular embroidery floss, if you want to work from stash instead of buying new supplies. If you're new to bead crochet, definitely start with ordinary floss or thread instead of the metallic; I found the metallic floss to be a real pain in the neck to work with, but overall I think the results are SO PRETTY as to be worth the hassle. Here's the pattern link:

Free Crochet Bead Necklace Pattern and Tutorial

IMPORTANT!

If you're doing bead crochet with thread or yarn, you can weave the yarn end into the work the same way you do with any other crochet project.

If you're making a wearable jewelry piece using bead crochet and wire, there's a different approach you could take to securing your loose end. However, I didn't know about it at the time I originally wrote my bead jewelry patterns and bead crochet patterns. I just found out about it and haven't had a chance to try it yet. 

If you weave the end of your wire into your work like you do with your thread crochet projects, it will stay put just fine. The problem is, that end of wire will probably poke you in the neck (if your piece is a necklace) or poke you in the wrist (if your piece is a bracelet).

Here's the trick: Apparently you can use crimp beads OR crimp tubes plus a crimper tool. You affix a crimp bead or tube over the loose end of wire so it won't poke you. You can get these items from jewelry making supply stores.

Crimp beads / tubes / tools aren't a necessity for either of the patterns I posted above. It doesn't make a difference one way or the other if the end of wire pokes out a little on the wire crochet napkin rings -- and the necklace is crocheted with floss, so you can weave that end in as usual without any problems. But in general I'm telling you all this so that you will be aware of the situation if you work any other wire crochet jewelry patterns in the future.  Especially if you come across any of my older patterns that do not include this information.

I feel like I owe the internet an apology for not knowing this when I originally shared my other bead crochet jewelry patterns. Thousands of people now have wire crochet bracelets and necklaces that are poking them in the wrists / neck because of this omission -- and if you're one of those people, please know that I am really, truly sorry for the oversight. 

I hope this information is helpful to you as you learn about bead crochet. If you have questions, please feel free to ask; I don't claim to be an expert on bead crochet, but I've made some projects in this technique and will try to help if I can. 

[Tulips8]

Nice idea but I will use thread or yarn.